Topics - scottyd1982

Quick cathartic question; basically for the purposes of making me feel better. I'm a 2L at a lower-Tier 1 school (i.e., ranked in the 40s). I wrote my comment last semester for one of my school's "niche" journals...the comment was good enough to get an offer of publication. Unfortunately, it may have come at the expense of my grades. I was previously in the Top 20%, now I'm hovering around the Top 40% of my class. This is at a school that is notorious for grade-inflation.

As far as jobs go...how forgiving, in general, do you think employers will be of a GPA drop in a comment semester?

I welcome all flame posts, because, frankly, those who do so don't really matter to me. I don't need care if my Internet feelings are hurt.

Hey guys, I'm a 2L at a middle Tier 1 school in a large city. I am in the Top 20% of my class, wrote on to one of my school's "niche" journals, am on the moot court team, and am the SBA vice president. I kinda feel as if I'm jack of all trades but master of none. I want to go into civil rights/constitutional litigation, ultimately would like to be an appellate lawyer. What size/ranking of firm should I realistically be looking at? I've had OCI interviews with a handful of large firms, one ding letter on callbacks and some no-responses.

Like many other 1Ls, my section has quite a few gunners. Some other section mates and I are trying to nail down some "rules of classroom etiquette" for a quasi-Socratic dialogue. Tell me what you guys think of these rules:

1. When the professor asks you a direct question pertaining to a case, statute, or hypothetical, answer directly and in as few words/sentences as possible. Do not pontificate or wax philosophically. We are all trying to learn black-letter law, and your gray-letter hazy b.s. is frustrating that goal.

2. If you are unprepared, and the professor asks you a question, say "pass" and allow somebody else to move on (this is an option at our school) with the discussion.

3. Do not volunteer for questions or comments unless the professor invites such discussion.

4. Do not discuss personal experiences. Period.

5. Do not argue with the professor. You're a 1L. They're older than God. Do the math.

5. Do not invoke hypothetical scenarios involving some sort of factual distinction from the present rule discussed unless explicitly invited to do so by the professor.

6. Limit yourself to one question or comment during volunteer periods in class per session. Quit hogging class time trying to prove to other people in your class, who had the same GPA and LSAT score that you did, that you are smarter they are. You aren't making friends with your future colleagues.

7. Only use Instant Messenger for the purposes of making fun of the people who are presently violating these rules. Do not use AIM to talk to your significant other when you should be trying to figure our venue under federal question subject matter jurisdiction.

8. All discussion not permitted under this code shall be reserved for study groups, professor e-mails, office hours, and lonely nights in wish you alternate between Dungeons and Dragons and your casebook. For the love of God. Who is still younger than your professor.

Just curious to see what everybody else is using and why. I started with Emanuel the first two weeks, found them a little too technical, switched to E&E's and I feel more prepared for class than most of my classmates who are just slogging through the cases without any context.

So, when I discuss law schools and rankings with "laypeople", usually in the context of explaining part of my decision to attend one school (American) over a few others (notably Pacific, Temple, and San Diego), I have started to employ an analogy with college football. Tell me if you think this is accurate. If you get offended by my descriptions of Tier 3 and Tier 4 schools, lighten up, I'm not a rankings whore, this is just for entertainment.

T14 = Perennial BCS Contenders

The T14 are the law schools that, just like USC, Texas, Miami, and Oklahoma, are always near the top. They land the best recruits, churn out the highest-ranking professionals, etc.

Middle tier 1 schools are schools that aren't quite at the level of the T14, but will occasionally sneak up and place a graduate into a firm over a T14 school. Comparable to those pesky 9-2 teams from BCS conferences that will sneak in the back door and win the Fiesta Bowl.

Lower tier 1 schools still have some national appeal, but rarely compete with the T14s, though they nip at the heels of the middle tier 1. Comparable to 3rd and 4th place teams in BCS conferences and mid-majors that win 10+ games and finish in the Top 25.

Tier 2 schools generally don't compete with the Tier 1, but still have their niches and win moot court titles, have killer IP programs, etc. Comparable to teams that play in the weird corporate sponsor bowls in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Boise, Idaho.

In the bottom half of law schools, will produce success stories, occasionally go to a bowl, but tend not to attract big recruits. Comparable to schools perennially at the bottom of BCS conferences and .500 teams in non-BCS leagues.